


Give Your Troubled Soul a Rest

by eyesonfire



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, pure fluff, this is the shortest thing ive ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-05
Updated: 2013-01-05
Packaged: 2017-11-23 18:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/625033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyesonfire/pseuds/eyesonfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We just need to be brave, okay? Brave and patient.”</p><p>“I know,” Louis said, his eyes sad. “It’s just hard.”</p><p> </p><p>Or the one where Louis breaks after posting the infamous bullshit tweet, and Harry is there to put him back together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Your Troubled Soul a Rest

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally the shortest thing I've ever written. It was originally posted as a drabble about half an hour after the bullshit tweet. I had to make myself feel better idk
> 
> Title from “It’s Gonna be Okay” Theresa Anderson

~

~You don’t have to dry your eyes,   
Go ahead and cry,   
Let your sweet tears stain my shoulder.  
It’s good to get it off your chest  
Give your troubled soul a rest  
And let somebody hold you~

~

With an angry roar Louis hurled the phone across the room where it smashed into the opposite wall. Silence filled the room, broken only by Louis’ harsh, ragged breathing.

Harry immediately pushed off the couch, striding across the room and wrapped his arms around him, trying not to be offended when Louis pushed him away.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked urgently, all the horrible possibilities flitting through his mind before he could get a hold on a logical one. He knew that management had been talking in Louis’ ear again recently, and he desperately hoped that Louis hadn’t seen hate, or some crap Management had tweeted to El or some fans off Louis’ account again.

Louis ignored him.

“Baby?” Harry prompted, placing a hand on Louis’ shoulder and refusing to let it leave, even as Louis tried to shrug it off.

Louis heaved a sigh, his chest shuddering. His eyes were closed. A split second later, Louis was yelling.

“I’ve fucking ruined everything okay?! I’ve pissed everyone off. I’ve just had to tell the only people that would be okay with this, with us-“Louis gestured furiously between their bodies, Harry barely a foot from Louis. 

“That what they believe, what they see is bullshit. I’m sick of it okay, I’m sick of everyone wanting something, I’m sick of people demanding we come out because that’s the one thing I want more than anything and it’s the one thing I can’t have and they don’t understand in their perfect uncomplicated worlds that there are things here at play that they don’t understand!”

Louis was breathing harshly, his ragged breathing and wide eyes panicking and begging and Harry’s heart was breaking for him. He hated management in that moment hated Eleanor and hated One Direction and hated the whole goddamn business because all it meant was that they had to do what they were told, they had to play along with these twisted, sick games. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair that they had to choose between fame and themselves, success and happiness and it sucked, it absolutely sucked.

Lou’s eyes were wide and tears were threatening to spill and Louis had been so strong for so long that Harry wasn’t sure how he hadn’t cracked earlier.

“Babe, its okay,” Harry tried to reassure him, “They know. Some of them know, and nothing you say can convince them otherwise. They’ll never stop believing, okay? We help them, as much as we can. You know that. And one day-“

Louis cut him off with another angry storm of words.

“One day what, Harry?! One day we get to tell people that we’ve been fucking every night while their teenage daughters dream of marrying us?”

The harsh words were spat at Harry, ripped from Louis’ mouth through an uncharacteristic sneer.

Harry hated it. He knew that Louis was only lashing out because he was upset and scared and under so much pressure but Harry didn’t know how to combat it. He wasn’t used to this Louis. He was used to the Louis that stole the covers but kept him warm with body heat anyway. He was used to the Louis that made him tea every morning. He was used to the Louis that would do anything Harry asked and they both knew it. Not this stranger and it terrified Harry.

“Next year, when our contra-“ Harry tried, desperately wanting Louis to feel better, wanting to calm him down, take some pain out off his eyes and some weight off his shoulder.

They were meaningless words and they both knew it.

“When our contract ends? You really think that will be the end of it?” Louis demanded incredulously, furiously. “They’re lying Harry! We’re never going to be able to tell people, okay?! Ever! It’s this whole business, this industry, this whole fucking messed – up society! And I’m fucking sick of everyone demanding the one thing we can’t do!”

The anger suddenly burned out, Louis’ face crumpling from the angry mask to the scared, vulnerable boy that Harry knew and knew how to take care off. Louis stepped forward into Harry’s arms, sagging into Harry’s body, taking strength from Harry. The first sob ripped at Harry’s heart.

“Shh,” Harry murmured, stroking his hair. “We’ll get through it.”

“How?!” Louis choked out brokenly, and Harry’s gut clenched at the sound. Louis was so strong, so brave, all the time, and although it tore at Harry’s heart to see him like this, he was still so beautiful.

“Because the true fans, the ones that believe and the ones that know and the ones that see our signals, those ones will stick with us okay? Nothing you say on twitter can change that. Nothing. And nothing can change the fact I love you. More than anything.”

Harry pulled back to place his hand under Louis’ chin and pull his head up to look him in the eyes.

“We just need to be brave, okay? Brave and patient.”

“I know,” Louis said, his eyes sad. “It’s just hard.”

“I know,” Harry told him, and they understood each other perfectly. They were the only ones who knew what the other was going through, the only two that knew the full extent of how much this was hurting them, each other. They understood and Louis was so, so thankful to have someone going through this with him, because he wasn’t sure if he would be strong enough on his own. It was one thing to be brave and strong for Harry, for their relationship, for their future, but if it was just him, he couldn’t do it.

Harry was so proud to be with Louis, so proud to be able to call him his. He hated that Louis was being hurt by this but at least he was there to pick up the pieces. Louis didn’t shatter often, insecurities hidden behind a mask of boisterous and mischievousness and Harry was gratified that he was the only one who got to see Louis like this. The only one who got to see him break and the only one who got to put him back together.

Another tear was squeezed out of Louis’ eye, and he looked so defeated. Harry swooped in to kiss it off his cheek.

“I love you,” he told Louis, pouring his heart into the words and trying to convey with his eyes how much he was going to fight for them, how much he was going to stay here and not give up and be here for Louis no matter what.

“I love you,” Louis replied, and he knew everything that Harry said in those three words.

“Bravery?” Harry asked, and Louis’ eyes had lost some of their defeat. Gained some of their shine back, and Harry’s heart fluttered to know that just by telling Louis he loved him he could make even the worst day a little bit brighter.

“Bravery,” Louis agreed, his voice still a little watery but solid and strong and clear. Determined. Brave.

And Harry moved his hand from under Louis’ chin, pressing his fingers into a fist and stroking Louis’ cheek with his extended thumb, creating a loving touch out of their symbol, the secret symbol that told each other how much they loved the other when they couldn’t use the words. The symbol that kept them both sane in interviews full of jealousy and insecurity. The symbol that meant everything to them.

And Louis pulled his fingers into the same shape against Harry’s back, telling Harry he loved him without using the words. It was everything they couldn’t say, everything that they couldn’t discuss because it was too painful right now, but they both knew.

Words would be said and denials would be made and Louis would go on more dates with Eleanor but for now, Harry and Louis could wrap each other up in their love and know that no matter how many times Louis was forced to say something, this was anything but bullshit.


End file.
